Rebecca Diana Smith Movies
- 2002
From the same production team responsible for the TV reality series Frontier House and 1900 House, the six-part Manor House was filmed at Manderston, a 109-room mansion in Scotland. For a period of three months, 20 people from various walks in life went "back in time," assuming the roles of the masters and servants of Manderston, their behavior rigidly controlled by a rule book articulating the manners and mores of the Edwardian Era (specifically, the year 1905). Thus, the lord of the manor, Sir John (played by John Olliff-Cooper, in real life the owner of a successful flooring business) ran his household with a firm hand, secure in the knowledge that no one -- not his family, not his servants -- could make a move or even express an opinion without his permission. Similarly, the "downstairs" people -- maids, footmen, kitchen help, etc. -- were subject to the orders of the stern and sour-faced head butler, Mr. Edgar (Hugh Edgar, an architect in real life). Not surprisingly, Sir John's privileged family (played by the actual members of Olliff-Cooper's family) were more amenable to the conditions set down by Edwardian tradition than were the people pretending to be the servants, many of whom possessed a more independent and rebellious streak than their early 20th century counterparts. Originally produced for Britain's Channel 4, Manor House was seen in the U.S. in three two-hour dollops from April 28 to 30, 2003, courtesy of PBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1998
- PG13
Sarah Kernochan wrote and directed this nostalgic coming-of-age comedy-drama with some autobiographical touches. In 1963, budgetary problems at the East Coast boarding school Miss Godard's School for Girls, prompt a merger with a boy's academy. The girls are stunned at the prospect of going co-ed and devise a campaign to sabotage the plan. Screenwriter Kernochan, scripter of Sommersby and 9 1/2 Weeks, won an Oscar when she co-directed the 1972 documentary Marjoe, but this film marks her feature directorial debut creating comedy-drama. The upstate New York seen here is actually Toronto. The title created some confusion, since Kernochan's film received reviews the same month the 1998 New York Film Festival unspooled a new 35mm print of Sergei Eisenstein's silent classic Strike (1924). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lynn Redgrave, Gaby Hoffmann, (more)
- 1976
Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams) are none too happy as they watch the guys at the Pizza Bowl ogle a bevy of gorgeous models. With this in mind, it is hardly surprising that our heroines are susceptible to the allure of a correspondence-school modelling course. Nor is it surprising that L&S's bid at entering the world of high fashion is doomed to come acropper. Featured in the supporting cast is Billy Sands, best known for his comic-foil work as Papparelli on The Phil Silvers Show and "Tinker" Bell on McHale's Navy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1975
- PG
Sheila (Jeannie Berlin) is not one of life's golden people: she's not especially good-looking, charming, charismatic, or smart. As a result, she has to struggle constantly. For some reason, she decides to move from the suburbs to New York City. Now she has a roommate (Rebecca Dianna Smith), a job with a record company, and a self-imposed obligation to try to meet some men. One night she goes out to a singles bar and meets Sam (Roy Scheider), a nice-looking doctor. They have what is for him a one-night stand, but Sheila is smitten. She hasn't had all that much luck with men, and this one she would like to keep. Embarrassed, Sam tries as gently as he can to ignore her. This becomes much more difficult when he starts dating Sheila's personable roommate. The screenplay for this gentle comedy was adapted by Gail Parent from her best-selling book of the same name. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeannie Berlin, Roy Scheider, (more)
- 1973
- PG
Originally released as Nightmare Honeymoon, this lurid thriller stars Dack Rambo and Rebecca Diana Smith. Rambo plays a Vietnam vet (he's certainly got the right name for it), while Rebecca is cast as his new bride, an heiress. While on their honeymoon, the newlyweds witness a murder and Rebecca is raped. Rambo's killer instinct quickly rises to the surface. Based on a novel by Lawrence Block, Deadly Honeymoon was to have been directed by Nicolas Roeg, but he ankled the project after less than a week and was replaced by Elliot Silverstein. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
